So as you know, we've just completed the second round of the MINI Challenge JCW series on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, and I have to say, this definitely was the most colourful outing so far. Having had such a brilliant weekend at Snetterton just a couple of weeks ago despite having a non-working differential, we assumed that it would give us free time once it was fixed. As theoretically, with an active differential, we'd be able to better drive the car in, round and out of the corners; unfortunately, we were wrong. To be totally transparent, a fully working...

So the floodgates are fully open for the season, and we're here once again, except this weekend we'll be going to Brands Hatch to be racing on the shorter Indy circuit layout. I have done hundreds of laps around Brands Hatch, and above all the circuits I've driven, Brands is the one that I'm confident I know best. And to be fair, it's definitely a track that, as a driver, you need to know. Albeit a very short lap, sub one minute in the MINI, each corner has something just a little unique about it that requires a touch of...

So round one of the MINI Challenge JCW Championship went remarkably well for us, which is nice considering we were dealt our fair share of bad luck by this point last year in the Cooper class. As you already know, over the testing season, the team has been trying to sort out an ongoing boosting issue with my car that was found and sorted mid-last week, just in time for round one. As I have already said before, it's great this issue was rectified in time for the first round; however, having the problem during the testing season was not...

So, it's finally the first round for the MINI Challenge at Snetterton; actually, I believe it's rounds 1, 2 and 3, I think, but I like to call it round 1; it makes things easier. So, first of all, and most importantly, the car's boosting issue has now been sorted. It's been quite a stressful couple of weeks for the team to find and sort out this issue on the car, but I am pleased to tell you that they have. As you know from my previous emails, the car wasn't picking up its boost pressure correctly, which meant I...

What a brilliant bank holiday weekend! I believe I clocked something like 31°C in my car on Monday, which was absolutely fantastic! As you know, Friday last week, we were out testing at Brands Hatch on the Indy layout (the shorter circuit), and this was an official 'test day' and not a track day, with the difference being overtaking and timing being allowed. Also, you generally don't have a bunch of track day worriers getting in your way in their Subarus, as everyone on the circuit must be in a race-prepared car with a full racing licence. So test days...

So, Croft; well, as you already know, Croft is a circuit I like, I am still unsure why drivers prefer some circuits over others, but Croft is definitely on my tick list. With the troubles we had at Snetterton in mind, our focus for our day at Croft was for me to get to grips with the car and just put the laps in; wet or dry, it didn't matter. Because we were so down on power at the Snetterton test a couple of weeks back, I haven't really driven this car yet as the power increase (to the correct...

As always, and with the start of the season getting ever closer, it's been a pretty hectic couple of weeks for team Gravett. Since Snetterton, we've been very busy getting everything sorted and ready for the Croft test tomorrow, which by the way, is further away than the moon, or it seems that way at least! So, after the Snetterton tyre test, despite being super happy with the amount I learnt about the car, I wasn't overly satisfied with the amount of power the car felt like it had. But with a minimal amount of time in the car, I...

Well, that was one interesting and very busy tyre test, shakedown, test day, and media day all blurred into one! Like with any new racing car, there's always going to be day one, the first time you drive the car, and there's always great anticipation of how both the driver (myself) and the car is going to perform. The biggest takeaway I learnt from the day; the absolute importance of a pre-test setup. As I said in my previous article, dad, myself and the team in mid-April spent a whole day around the car just getting our heads around dynamically...

Wow, it feels like an absolute age since I last drove a racing car; in fact, it will be exactly 156 days and 17 hours, not that anybody's counting... okay, maybe I've been counting a little, but hey, what's wrong with that?! With that aside, it's been one hectic journey for team Gravett over the past six months to get to where we are now, finally, about to get into a MINI John Cooper Works racing car, and wow, are we all excited. We've all been working incredibly hard on my racing programme to 'make this happen', and still, every...

Well, that's the MINI Challenge 2020 season complete for another year, and wow, did we end it on a high. Everyone I had spoken to about Donington all said how much of a fantastic circuit it is, but without driving it, I wasn't to know... within half a lap, I knew exactly what they meant. That feeling you get when going through the Craner Curves is like nothing I've experienced before; Donington is a very tricky, unforgiving circuit that, simply put, requires commitment. It's challenging to get right, especially in a low-powered car with its undulating inclines and declines, but...

I hope you've enjoyed the second lockdown as much as we have... not..! Well let's be honest, it didn't feel much like the first; however, it seems to have done enough to convince the government we can all go racing again, happy days. :) So, this round was actually scheduled for the start of November, but obviously, the second lockdown pushed it back to this coming weekend. If I am completely honest, I didn't think this round was going to go ahead, or at least this side of the new year. In fact, I am actually quite surprised the meeting...

Well, that's another eventful MINI Challenge weekend done and dusted. After driving to what felt like the moon and back Thursday evening, we finally arrived at Croft, the Monty Carlo of British motorsport, delivering all the glitz and glam UK motorsport offers; muddy field parking, sideways rain and wet feet. :) As you know, Croft is a circuit I've never driven, and like with all circuits I've never driven, I do like to get a track walk in pre-testing. Fortunately, track walks were being allowed Thursday evening, and with the dying light, we just about managed to get one in....